The present invention relates to checkout systems and methods and more specifically to a non-linear checkout stand.
Retailers wish to reduce transaction time and expedite the customer checkout process. Conventional checkout stands, whether used for self-service or assisted service operation, are generally rectangular in shape and move items along a linear path. These checkout stands may include a linear conveyor belt for moving items from a receiving end to an operator station. The operator station may include a transaction terminal including a barcode reader for identifying the items somewhere in the middle of the checkout stand. The transaction terminal enters the items into a purchase transaction. In alternative configurations, items may pass through a tunnel in which the barcode reader is located. A takeaway belt along the linear path moves the items from the operator station to a bagging end. A plurality of these checkout stands may be arranged in parallel, with linear customer paths or checkout lanes in between.
The footprint of these conventional checkout stands may be undesirably long for some installations. Also, these checkout stands transport items to a bagging end which is far enough away from a customer to be out of view of the customer and otherwise unguarded.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an alternative checkout stand design, one in which items move along a non-linear path from one end to another end.